Crispy™ Sony Online Entertainment acquired by Columbus Nova, becomes Daybreak Game Company

[Alchemist]

Well this is an interesting development: Sony Online Entertainment Becomes Daybreak Game Company

Dear Players, Partners and Friends,

Today, we are pleased to announce that we have been acquired by Columbus Nova, an investment management firm well known for its success with its existing portfolio of technology, media and entertainment focused companies. This means that effective immediately SOE will operate as an independent game development studio where we will continue to focus on creating exceptional online games for players around the world, and now as a multi-platform gaming company. Yes, that means PlayStation and Xbox, mobile and more!

As part of this transition, SOE will now become Daybreak Game Company. This name embodies who we are as an organization, and is a nod to the passion and dedication of our employees and players. It is also representative of our vision to approach each new day as an opportunity to move gaming forward.

So what exactly does this mean for you? It will be business as usual and all SOE games will continue on their current path of development and operation. In fact, we expect to have even more resources available to us as a result of this acquisition. It also means new exciting developments for our existing IP and games as we can now fully embrace the multi-platform world we are living in.

Our games and players are the heart and soul of our organization, and we are committed to maintaining our portfolio of online games and pushing the limits of where we can take online gaming together.

Thank you for your continued support. See you in game!

The Team at Daybreak

Not sure what to think of it - is this good or bad? Maybe being out from under Sony's rule will be good in the long run.

 

[DramaticPopcorn]

Sony is optimizing its businesses, we are likely to see more ineffective assets being sold in the coming months.

Very surprised with SoE being one of the sells, though. I thought they had a lot of cashflow with microtransations.

The investment fund ownership seems shady. They will likely get sold quite soon or have a drastic change to their business model in the coming months. Either way, not a good place to work in.

 

[Alchemist]

Yeah it seems like things could shake up quite a bit. They say it will be "business as usual" - haha riiiiight.

The mention of multi-platform is unsettling - bringing to mind a focus on consoles and mobile games.

 

[Archibald]

I always thought that SOE was profitable part of Sony, but then, who really wants to buy shit parts of the company asides of specific situations where they can optimize that stuff?

 

[Perkel]

http://www.theverge.com/2015/2/2/7964263/sony-online-entertainment-sold-daybreak

They have DOC and Planetside also they were close to release of Everquest Next with Everquest Landmark already in beta.
It is assumed that new owner invested more money and they have more budged for things.

 

[Rahdulan]

Holy crap. There goes one of permanent MMO fixtures, even if it is just changing their name and getting a new master. it would seem Smedley persists, sadly.

 

[Metro]

Artist formerly known as SOE will be completely out of business within a couple of years. That H1Z1 thing was another in along line of hilarious flops.

 

[Perkel]

Artist formerly known as SOE will be completely out of business within a couple of years. That H1Z1 thing was another in along line of hilarious flops.

It is highly suggested that Sony didn't plan to sell SOE but they were offered good money for it.
I guess we can expect in year or two everquest mobile abomination.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

Interesting. I wonder what this will bring.

 

[Kane]

Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) has been acquired by Columbus Nova, forcing a namechange to Daybreak Game Company.

Dear Players, Partners and Friends,

Today, we are pleased to announce that we have been acquired by Columbus Nova, an investment management firm well known for its success with its existing portfolio of technology, media and entertainment focused companies. This means that effective immediately SOE will operate as an independent game development studio where we will continue to focus on creating exceptional online games for players around the world, and now as a multi-platform gaming company. Yes, that means PlayStation and Xbox, mobile and more!

As part of this transition, SOE will now become Daybreak Game Company. This name embodies who we are as an organization, and is a nod to the passion and dedication of our employees and players. It is also representative of our vision to approach each new day as an opportunity to move gaming forward.

So what exactly does this mean for you? It will be business as usual and all SOE games will continue on their current path of development and operation. In fact, we expect to have even more resources available to us as a result of this acquisition. It also means new exciting developments for our existing IP and games as we can now fully embrace the multi-platform world we are living in.

Our games and players are the heart and soul of our organization, and we are committed to maintaining our portfolio of online games and pushing the limits of where we can take online gaming together.

Thank you for your continued support. See you in game!

The Team at Daybreak

https://forums.station.sony.com/ps2...ainment-becomes-daybreak-game-company.213868/

 

[Drakron]

Look raw, dont take stealing news from other sites away from Infinitron because thats about all he does and then he gets depressed and start drinking and next thing is I get a call and have to ... dispose of something OK?

 

[Kane]

Look raw, dont take stealing news from other sites from Infinitron because thats about all he does and then he gets depressed and start drinking and next thing is I get a call and have to ... dispose of something OK?

I am sorry you have the laborous task of changing his diapers, but stealing news is my kinda thing.

 

[Darth Roxor]

l'll take raw news any day over raw jews

 

[Kane]

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/soe-acquired-becomes-daybreak-game-company.96873/

Not just is my OP better, as usual, it's also in the correct section.

Huh? Your OP is nearly identical to mine.

 

[Alchemist]

Not sure what you mean but ok - carry on. Sorry if I stepped on someone's toes posting news!

 

[Drakron]

his diapers

If only ...

 

[toro]

Sony got rid of some ballast. They also want to fire 1000 employees from the mobile division. Hard times.

 

[Metro]

More shitty 'F2P' mmos.

 

[Echo Mirage]

Somebody actually paid money for SOE !?!

 

[Xenich]

Not a surprise. After seeing what they were doing with EQ Next and Landmark and what they have done to all their current games over the years... well... I say good riddance.

 

[Angthoron]

Calling dibs on "The day it went broke" puns now.

 

[Ranselknulf]

More shitty 'F2P' mmos.

They were all F2P before SoE got rid of them.

I doubt much will change since they are already microtransaction and DLC shop games. Business as usual I guess.

Smart move on SoE's part though. Not having to provide customer service on aging mmo's and getting paid for it must be a boon.

 

[Shannow]

All your credit card information are belong to us.

 

[The Last Blackguard]

Out of curiosity, do they still own the rights to Champions of Norrath?

In any case, I suppose this means the new Champions of Norrath game on the Vita I've been pining for is now not going to happen even harder.

 

[Xenich]

My guess is that there is still a chance that some projects will get finished, but... It is likely everything will be designed via a massive marketing gimmick way designed to maximize profit in the shortest time possible. I think this company is going to whore out the last products of Sony until they are flimsy piles of meat (not like it will take much after what Sony has done to them). So, I would consider anything you were hoping for to be pretty much dead anyway.